25 August 2018 (Saturday) - A House Guest


Finding myself wide awake and in some discomfort,  I got up at three o’clock and went to the loo (tripping over Fudge as I went). The loo didn’t help, and being wide awake I watched an episode of “Orange is the New Black”. Just as the episode was ending I did the world’s biggest fart, and then went back to bed where I *would* have slept like a log had Treacle not thought it was play time.
Eventually she settled.

I got up just after eight o’clock and stood on the scales. No weight loss this week, but no weight gain either. I then had a look at the Internet. Facebook was much the same as ever with lies and triviality being bandied about in equal measure. I quite like the triviality, it’s the lies that boil my piss.
I spent a few minutes fighting with a geo-puzzle; eventually giving up and emailing the chap who’d set the puzzle. It turns out I had the right answer all along but the software wasn’t doing what it was supposed to do. Software rarely does.
I spent a few minutes doing dull BTLP-TACT (work stuff) in which I simulated an emergency, and then learned how to filter my GSAK. Filtering GSAK is something that most people learned years ago, but I’m still getting the hang of it.

"Daddy’s Little Angel TM" arrived and made off with a set of spanners, leaving "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction TM" in her wake. He’d been looking forward to a weekend with us (apparently).
We started off with walking the dogs round the park. "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction TM" came along on his scooter. You’d think some form of propulsion like that might have speeded him up, wouldn’t you? He probably could have gone slower if he’d really tried, but even Fudge was getting impatient with him.
As we walked we found some child’s party in full flow in the middle of the park. They had gazebos up, which is a big no-no with the council, and some of the children coming to the party were being driven directly to the party with cars driving down through the paths on which cars are expressly forbidden.

Eventually we got out of the park, through the co-op field and past the allotments where some people were growing “sensibles”. We eventually got home, but it took some doing. Once home we had a cheese sandwich each and I fell asleep waiting for "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction TM" and "er indoors TM" to do whatever it was that they were doing.

Eventually we got out of the house.

We went to the co-op so’s I could use their cashpoint machine (and again the machine didn’t give me a receipt), and we then drove down to Burmarsh to Mini Moo’s Maize Maze and Fun Yard. We had a Groupon voucher for Mini Moo’s Maize Maze and Fun Yard and thought we’d have a go.

I don’t want to be negative about the place, but when we arrived it looked closed. There is a rather tired-looking play area with the sort of play equipment that you would have in your own back garden; none of it seems to be particularly heavy-duty.
There are a few bales of hay which for a sort of “water pistol arena” around which the children can charge whilst squirting the water pistols supplied by the place. The water pistols are filled from rather grubby-looking dustbins of water most of which were empty or swimming with hay. The biggest problem with the “water pistol arena” is that it isn’t cordoned off; anyone passing to and from the maize maze seems to be fair game for a good soaking.
We got to the maize maze. There were boards to find inside the maze; after half an hour we realized what the code on the boards was; if you are a super-genius you can work out how to get round the maze. We just blundered.
We had a little episode in the maze; in the middle was a platform the floor of which really could do with being nailed down. Stepping on one end of a plank of wood and having the other end fly up was rather disconcerting; even more so when it happened with several planks.

Having been rather disparaging about the place, I think it is only fair to say that "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction TM" seemed to like it. He certainly lasted far longer there than he did at the zoo. I’d go back. Given a few years to find its feet, Mini Moo’s Maize Maze and Fun Yard may well achieve greatness.

We wondered what most recent grandchild would make of geocaching so we went to find a couple on the way home. He seemed quite taken with the idea.
We came home via Tesco; did you know they give free fruit to the littluns as they walk round? I didn’t. S.B.O.D. scoffed an apple as we shopped.

Once home I quickly excused myself and drove out to Warehorne to collect my eBay win. I had to go to “The Leacon, Warehorne”. Have you ever been to Warehorne? I think it fair to say that two-thirds of the twenty-odd houses there have “Leacon” in their address. Leacon House, Leacon Manor, Leacon Cottage, Leacon Farm, Leacon Farm Cottage, Leacon View… I eventually found the place, but it took some finding.

I came home to find that "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction TM" had strewn Lego everywhere and "er indoors TM" was pulling Lego out of Treacle’s mouth almost as fast as Treacle was eating it.
Having been in the maize maze earlier it seemed only right that we had corn on the cob for tea, and fish fingers and chips for afters.

As I’m writing this blog entry our little guest is currently destroying some of "er indoors TM" candles whilst Treacle is eating the yogurt he’s left on the table.
He’s having a bath shortly… or so I’m told. I’m not getting involved!

It has been a rather full-on day today – there’s a few photos on-line; you tend to forget just how much hard work toddlers can be.

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